Lost Art Press

ATC Innards Video Almost Done

Posted on by fitz

It will come as no surprise to those who know me that I got distracted by other work…and that I forgot it takes me five times longer (at least) to do things with a camera pointed at me than when no one is watching. And that is why the video I promised a few weeks back on kitting out the interior of an “Anarchist’s Tool Chest” is taking a bit longer than expected. But with Wally’s help, we’re nearing the finish line. (A special thanks to its soon-to-be owner for bearing with the delays.)

The video will feature:
• installing the till runners
• a brief look at dovetailing the three tills (goodness knows if you’ve built this chest, you know how to cut dovetails!)
• fitting the till bottoms to the runners
• installing a moulding plane till at the back
• making and installing a hanging hole-y rack with slots behind it for backsaws
• making and installing a saw till for larger handsaws
• notes on finishing the interior
• tips on fitting the lid
• hardware installation, including hinges, chest lifts, ring pulls and a “crab lock”
• caster installation
• surprisingly few cats (unless we add then in post production).

Chris plans to start editing at the end of next week, and he’s fast – so it should be available soon thereafter. Below are a few pictures I snapped during the process.

Always a good idea to make sure the saws fit before you install the rack in the chest.
The owner chose Horton Brasses forged hardware (good stuff).
Never use your hair as a glue brush. But if you do, make sure you’re using hide glue (it washes out easily).
Tills before “make pretty” and finish.
Bean and Wally know that I keep treats in my tool chest. Could there be some in this chest, too? (Nope – sorry boys.)

10 thoughts on “ATC Innards Video Almost Done”

  2. Looking forward to the video! Just out of curiosity, will it be much different to the “innards” parts of the Travelling ATC video you did for the Wood Whispererer Guild a year ago?

    Oh, and that last photo is a pretty perfect (and pretty pretty, too) example in “the innocence of plotting cats” genre …

    Cheers,

    Mattias

    1. A little bit – the floor saw till and the hanging tool rack are different (to take advantage of the expanded room), plus there’s no moulding plane till in the smaller one. (This will cost, less, too, as it doesn’t cover the chest build itself). Also, I look older and heavier in this one, because I am!

  3. Looking forward to the fitting out video. How about making a saw storage video. Where do you keep yours?

    1. My backsaws are in my chest at work; my panel saws are in my chest at home. We have some overflow saws (for students) hanging on pegs in the shop. We do not have what you might consider a classic saw till. But Mike Siemsen made a nice one a few years back, for an article in Popular Woodworking.

  4. From my experience building and fitting out my ATC this past year (and I now feel like I can dovetail thanks to your ATC class Megan!), I think you may have left out one final step: The sublime joys and frustrations of deciding which tools go in the chest and which don’t. Then again, that may be the proverbial never ending story!

  5. Where did that small whisk broom at the end of the bench come from.

  6. I’m still waking up and when I scrolled down to the third photo I at first thought that was smoke coming up from the board. I thought “Wow. How hot does Megan make her hide glue?”

  7. Ok, fantastic work here. I have become a student of of all things LAP, the pics, the writing the inspiration, oh and, the Stick Chair Book, whenever I finally put it down perhaps I’ll start my first chair. Well done.

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